


Scenes From a Partnership (or Five Times Lt. Provenza Tells Lt. Flynn He’s an Ass)

by mammothluv



Category: The Closer
Genre: 5 Things, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-12-20
Updated: 2009-12-20
Packaged: 2017-10-04 17:07:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,933
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/32489
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mammothluv/pseuds/mammothluv
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Five scenes from Flynn and Provenza's partnership.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Scenes From a Partnership (or Five Times Lt. Provenza Tells Lt. Flynn He’s an Ass)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [guiltyreasons](https://archiveofourown.org/users/guiltyreasons/gifts).



> Many thanks to heeroluva and Equestrienne Dreams for their beta work. The Closer belongs to James Duff and TNT. I'm not making any profit and no copyright infringement is intended.

1.

Partners are, at best, a pain in the ass. Provenza realized this during his first year in the force and various partners have reinforced that opinion several times since.

He likes his routine. He starts out the day with breakfast at the Nickel Diner - two eggs over-easy and bacon - and then, if he's not on a particular case, he likes to start patrol by heading southwest through the city and work his way back to the station. He prefers talk radio on low not because he really listens but because he likes some background noise besides the scanner and talk is preferable to the ruckus that is popular music.

Partners disrupt his routine and that tends to make him cranky. He'd just broken in his last partner and the idiot had to go and retire. Since then he's been working with a new person almost every day. It's a constant stream of know-nothing idiots who all want to shake things up.

Today's partner is particularly obnoxious. Provenza knew from the second they met that it was going to be a damn long day. He found the man standing in the hallway, leaning against a file cabinet while chewing on a toothpick and looking smug. When Provenza approached, the man lazily extended one hand and said, "Andy Flynn. Looks like we're riding together today."

It has only been two hours and already Flynn insisted on stopping somewhere else for breakfast. Provenza's eggs were cold by the time the waitress brought them to the table and he couldn't even catch the woman to send them back. Now Flynn is fiddling with the damn radio constantly.

As he sees Flynn's hand reach for the radio knob yet again, Provenza realizes he can't take it anymore. "Could you stop changing the damn station? I don't think we've heard more than twenty seconds of a song the whole damn morning. Pick something and stick with it."

Flynn pulls his hand from the radio and holds both hands up in an exaggerated gesture of surrender. "Sorry, old man. Didn't realize you were so touchy about your music."

Ignoring the dig, Provenza steps on the gas. The faster they get the witnesses questioned, the faster his day with this moron will be over.

They pull up in front of a modest white house where his notes indicate the witness lives. "You going to handle the questioning or am I?" he asks.

"I've got it," Flynn says dismissively.

"Well, don't forget to get her to tell us about the day before the husband left." Provenza's irritation is evident in his tone.

"No, I thought I'd have her describe it to us through interpretive dance."

Provenza grips the steering wheel harder in frustration. "You're an asshole," he replies.

"Funny, I was just thinking the same thing about you," Flynn says as he opens the car door.

If he'd known then that he'd be permanently partnered with Flynn years later, he'd have retired early and saved himself the headaches.

2.

"I can't believe we're sitting here again," Provenza mumbles.

Andy Flynn answers with nothing but a glare in his partner's direction.

"Hey, it's not my fault we ended up at the wrong house last time, dumbass," Provenza says as he focuses his binoculars on the house they are now certain they're meant stake out. Flynn has checked the address five times now. To say it's beginning to annoy him would be an understatement.

"I'm the dumbass? You were driving. You parked in front of the wrong house. You pointed at the wrong house and said 'That's the house.' How is that not your fault?" Flynn asks, annoyance evident in his voice.

"You forget that I navigated to the wrong house on the basis of your notes," Provenza replies testily.

"My notes clearly said 1642 Rosewood."

"Your notes didn't _clearly_ say anything. Your four looked like a nine. Hell, we were lucky we were even on the right street. That chicken scratch you call handwriting is like an entirely different language." Provenza can see his breath in the air as he speaks and, not for the first time, he mentally curses the LAPD for providing a car with a worthless heater.

"My four looked like a four," Flynn replies defensively. "And, I certainly wouldn't call being stuck in a car with you for nine hours in front of the wrong house watching a whole lot of nothing 'lucky,' but maybe that's just me. I don't know why we're doing this instead of a couple of patrol cops."

"Well, tonight we're doing it because the Chief's pissed off we screwed up last night. I can't remember why she was pissed off at us yesterday."

Flynn chuckles in amusement at the memory. "Man, I have never seen the Chief's face turn red as fast as when you told her we'd surveilled the wrong house. Well, maybe that time we found the body in your garage."

"But, you've got to admit it was pretty funny." Provenza raises the pitch of his voice and puts on his best southern drawl, "You were parked _where_, gentlemen? Just _whose_ house were you watching all night if you weren't watching the suspect?"

"Stop. Your impression of the Chief is frighteningly accurate. I'm getting chills," Flynn says with a shudder.

Chief Johnson had definitely been less than impressed when he and Provenza confessed their error.

_"Just out of curiosity, Chief, I checked," Tao offered. "The house Provenza and Flynn were watching last night belongs to Harriet Harkins, an 84 year old retired elementary school teacher."_

_The Chief threw her hands up as if in relief, "Well, thank the heavens that the two of you protected the citizens of L.A. from the menace that is Harriet Harkins. You're on stakeout again tonight."_

_"But, Chief," Provenza protested._

_She spun on her heels and her glare silenced Provenza mid-sentence. "And try to watch the correct house this time. Consider yourselves lucky Mr. Allen doesn't seem to have murdered anyone while you two were off spying on a retiree who was probably in bed by 9 p.m." She pounded her fists on the desk in front of her for emphasis and her voice rose to a level both Flynn and Provenza recognized as dangerous._

_Grabbing his partner by the arm, Flynn pulled him toward the exit. "I think we'd better get out while we can."_

_The Chief waved her hands in their direction as they made their escape. "Out you go. Quickly. Quickly. Quickly."_

Flynn picks up his binoculars and focuses on the front room of the house where someone has just turned a light on. "Now that you've reminded me, I guess we're better off out here than we are back at the station. God, I never want to see her that pissed again."

3.

Provenza opens his eyes to a too bright hospital room. It's a few minutes before the figures around him come into focus.

There's a nurse, a Nurse Ratched looking type, standing across the room, flipping through a chart. He doesn't want to spend more time than necessary looking at her so he turns his head.

Right next to his bed Andy Flynn is slumped in a chair staring off into space. Provenza notes that his partner's suit is rumpled and his hair is mussed. He wonders not only how long he himself has been here but how long Andy has been camped out at his bedside.

He opens his mouth to speak but finds his voice isn't there. He settles for clearing his throat. Flynn snaps to attention immediately and pulls his chair closer to Provenza's bed.

"Welcome back," he says softly. Provenza is almost certain he hears Andy's voice catch.

"What the hell happened?" Provenza asks as he reaches up to rub his aching head.

"Damn suspect got you in the head with a golf club. You've been out for a few hours. How are you feeling?"

"Well now that you mention it, I feel like I got hit in the head with a damn golf club." Provenza rubs his head once again for emphasis and glares at his partner.

Flynn reaches out and takes Provenza's other hand in his own. "I thought you were a goner there for a second when I saw you hit the ground." This time Provenza knows he's not imaging the catch in his partner's voice.

"Don't get emotional on me, Flynn. I'm used to you being an asshole. The confusion isn't good for my health in this fragile state."

Flynn lets go of his hand and leans back in his chair. Smiling he says, "Should have known that skull of yours was too damn hard for a golf club to make an impact anyway."

4.

The first drawer Provenza tries to open doesn't budge, so he thinks it is just stuck.

Then he tries the second, the third, and the fourth. None of them open.

When he looks up, he notices that stupid grin plastered across Flynn's face.

"Damnit. You glued my drawers shut, you ass," he grumbles as he grabs a letter opener and attempts to use it to pry open the top drawer. When that doesn't work, he resumes yanking on the handle.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Provenza. It doesn't look like you're pulling hard enough. Maybe you're getting weak in your old age."

Provenza pulls so hard the cheap plastic handle comes off in his hand. He tosses the handle at Flynn's head, but Flynn ducks just in time, so the handle sails past him only to hit Tao in the shoulder. Tao jumps from his chair and looks around wildly. When he spots Flynn and Provenza very obviously attempting to not look at him, he just shakes his head, sits back down, adjusts his glasses, and returns his attention to his computer.

Provenza can't help the laugh that escapes him. He and Andy share a brief smile before Provenza interrupts with, "I don't care what you have to do. You're fixing my desk tomorrow."

Flynn walks across the squad room and picks up the handle from its resting place on the floor next to Tao's desk. A smug grin on his face, he tosses it back at his partner and replies, "Fix it yourself, grandpa. Maybe I'll help you if I'm feeling generous."

5.

As much as Flynn enjoys teasing his partner, Andy can tell the end of his engagement has left Provenza shaken. It's that knowledge that encourages him to stop by Provenza's desk on his way out of the building and say politely and without sarcasm, "I meant what I said, you know. I'm here if you need anything." He should have known better.

"What makes you think having you around is any consolation?" The last bit is mumbled but Flynn does not miss the, "Arrogant ass." Provenza slams the file he's looking at down on his desk for emphasis.

"Hey, don't take it out on me. Look at it this way, no marriage means no divorce, and you'll never have to pay her alimony." Even that doesn't get a grin out of Provenza. "Alright. I'm out of here," Andy says, admiting defeat.

"Wait up. I'm hungry," Provenza shouts after him. "Giovanni's for pizza?"

"You're on, partner," Flynn replies, a pleased grin on his face. "You can pay with all that money you just saved yourself on alimony." He holds the door open, waiting for Provenza.

"Fat chance," Provenza replies as he walks past Flynn. "You're paying. I'm in mourning over my failed relationship. It's the least you can do."


End file.
